Not About the Kids

I know this blog mainly describes my time with my kids, but I need to share that I couldn't do this without my husband.  He works super duper hard, and then comes home and plays with the kids, bathes them, and puts them down for the night so I can finish up the chores for the day and start working on the shops.

Last night, he brought me chocolates and my favorite- raspberry framboise.

Today, he brought me 3 pieces of See's chocolates from his work that he hid from his coworkers so he could bring them to me. Ha.

Finally, you wouldn't know it just by looking at him because he's so stoic all the time, but he's really funny and he makes me laugh .. alot.

He was being nice and considerate again.  He knew I had a tiring night because I had to put the kids down, so he stopped by Redbox to get me a movie.  I didn't ask him to, but he was just being nice.  This is the conversation that followed...

 

First, he knows how to spell Twilight, but for some odd reason, he spells light as "lite" on text, all the time.  Secondly, he was being sarcastic and he didn't get Prometheus.  Anyhow, it's little things like this that make me realize I really like him.

 

The end.

I've Decided...

So, trying to keep up two blogs and two shops caught up to me, and for the last two weeks, I just felt so behind that I didn't even try to keep up with anything.  The more I felt behind, the less I wanted to work.  Very counterproductive.  I thought about dropping this blog entirely because blogging is the hardest for me in regards to my business.  I can clean and mend products, photograph, edit, and list, but blogging always comes last on my to-do list, and because it's last, I end up not doing it because I just run out of time during the day.  Anyone else do that?

Anyhow, after much thinking and trying to figure out how to combine the two visions for my blog, I decided I just couldn't.  I started this blog to focus on being a mother and to force me to take pictures of my kids growing up and to document that.  I thought about just adding this to my original vintage blog, but it just doesn't fit with the direction of that blog either.  That blog focuses on vintage and fashion inspiration, whereas this blog is more of a lifestyle blog that's more mommy friendly.  So, I've decided to keep both, but to not expect myself to update everyday.  If I set myself this lofty goal that I know I can't achieve, I'll just fall into the same rut again.

So, here's a cute update.  I know Halloween was last week, but it was an extremely packed week, so here's my update and I die whenever I see these pictures.  I have no idea when my kids got so big.  Moms, spend time with your children and take lots of pictures of them because it goes by so fast!!

So hard to get them both to look at the camera at the same time! 

She's growing up so fast!!

One of the rare pictures of me, and of course it has to be a weird one where the lighting creates some weird looking growth on my neck.  

So, more blog updates, and even more shop updates!

The Mundane is Pretty Great

I slacked a tiny bit in updating the kids shop the past week because I wanted to spend more quality time with MY kids.  It seems silly to say because I stay at home, but working from home sometimes prevents me from enjoying them.  Sometimes, actually, all the time, I am behind in my housework, cooking meals, blogging, and listing items in both shops.  I fell behind in these and they took precadence over my children.  I somehow forgot that I stay at home because my husband and I decided that it was important to us that one of us stayed at home for the children.  All families are different, but for ours, this is what we value. 

So, this past week, I wanted to be more intentional with my kids.  I wanted to spend quality time with them, whether it was taking walks, riding bikes, or going on outings.  Thank goodness for my iphone because without the iphone, I don't think I would have any pictures of my kids.  I barely remember my keys, but I never forget my phone!  It's sad that I need to remember to do this because I feel like I should be like this all the time because they grow up so fast.  But, at the end of the day, I just need to ask myself, "Did I love my children and did they feel loved today?"  If the answer's yes, then it was a good day.

Here's what we've been up to:

Taking bike rides and walks around our complex.  That's my daughter's "Smile" face.

This picture cracks me up. 

We visited a children's museum with a new dinosaur exhibit since my son thinks he's a paleontologist.  My daughter was more into dressing up in the museum's dress up gear.

 



And she likes dressing up at home.

 My son got a haircut.  He looks like such a big boy now. :(  Excuse the mess in the background.

 

 

Jonah visited the dentist for the first time.  Pediatric dentists really make it a great experience for the kids now! Jonah loved it!

 Sometimes, being a mom, and particularly a stay-at-home mom becomes mundane in a way.  Raising kids, keeping up the house, feeding your husband all seems just part of a routine and mundane.  But, what a great blessing it is to be able to actually raise your children and watch them grow!  I need to remember this more often so I don't get myself stuck in so many "ruts."  Anyone else feel this way? 

Thanks for reading!

Why I Shouldn't Have a 3rd

 

I found this poster on zazzle and thought it epitomized how I've been feeling lately.  This mother is clearly a bit overwhelmed with all the tasks a mother has to do.  I think all mothers feel this way to a degree. 

I realized I am NOT the master of multitasking because I almost had my car stolen on two different occasions the past couple of weeks.

 

First, I met up with some moms for a playdate at the Santa Ana zoo.  I took both of my kids out of the car, locked the door, had a fun couple of hours looking at all the monkeys, because that's basically all Santa Ana zoo has.  One of the moms went to her car to grab something and came back and asked if I had parked right next to her car.  I had and she informed me that my back door was wide open.  I had left my back door wide open for several hours in the city with the most car thefts! 

 

Then, last Friday, I took my kids to another museum because I found out they had just opened a new dinosaur exhibit.  My son is obsessed with dinosaurs, so I arranged to meet up with the same mom who told me about my car door at the zoo.  After about an hour at the museum, I hear over the intercom, "Will the owner of a white Honda accord please come to the front desk." Crap.  That's me.  I went to the front desk and the worker asked if I had my keys.  While frantically looking for them, I realized exactly where I had left them- on top of my car. She said one of the workers at the day care center across the street had them.  I have this fear that I will lock my keys in the car while the kids are in the car, so I make sure I place them somewhere where I won't forget them.  So I placed them on my trunk so that they wouldn't be locked inside the car.  But, of course I forgot them.

 

Here's what I have learned:

1. I'm losing my mind.  This can be due to lack of sleep from work or just pure insanity.

2. I need to ask my husband if we have insurance for car theft because it looks like it's going to happen soon if I don't get my act together.

3. At least I didn't forget the kids.

4. I need to get my act together.

5. I need to sleep more.

6. The only way I can have a 3rd is if I stop working from home.  That doesn't seem plausible, so we are done... for now...

 

 

They Keep Me Going

All of these pictures were taken on my iPhone, so I apologize for the quality.  But, it's just so convenient to use the iPhone instead of running to grab the camera! These shots really make me smile and help me realize that what I'm doing is worth it.

 

My son calls himself a paleontologist and can name like 100 dinosaurs.

 

I don't know why my younger daughter is the one pushing my son, but they were cracking up.  Whatever works, right?

 

September has been the longest and busiest month for me.  On top of starting the new kids shop, I've been handling the fab.com sale that just ended, adding many new listings in my women's shop, hunting crazily for some more vintage on Saturdays for hours on end, organizing a mini fashion show for a church function, all while functioning on 3-4 hours of sleep per night and not consecutive sleep I may add. 

 

I was on the verge of a breakdown physically and emotionally.  I think I have said the phrase "This is the longest month ever" to my husband at least once every day for the past 2 weeks.  My husband's been working overtime and watching the kids practically on the weekends, so it hasn't been easy for him, either. 

 

But, life is good.  Exhausting, yes, but good.  God has blessed us and provided for us faithfully, and I really should not be complaining.  Everything that I've started this month has been an opportunity to grow the business and I get to do it from my home while watching my kids grow everyday.  My "fashion show" is tomorrow, then I'll be going to an antique flea on Sunday, and happy hour after the kids go down.  I'm definitely ready for September to end and looking forward to what October brings.

What Do You Do With Your Bread?

 

 

You know those unpopular bread ends that no one really wants to eat, but you don't want to waste?  What do you do with them?  Sometimes, I make a sandwich out of those for my husband's lunch.  He's never complained, but I'm not sure if he enjoys those sandwiches.  Sometimes, I use those ends to soak up all the fat that comes from grilling fattier meats, like pork.  Or, sometimes, I save them all up and go to the park to feed the ducks, and that's what we did last week!  This idea was taken from a good friend at church.  Why not entertain my kids with the bread ends that no one wants to eat?  They had a blast and this was Jessie's first time feeding the ducks.

 

We found it funny that this trio kept following us around the park.  I kept wanting to yell "Aflac."

 

This is just one side of Heritage Park in Cerritos, CA.  Cerritos is a very well planned out city with gorgeous parks.  That day was very humid because it had rained that morning, which is extremely odd for SoCal weather, so the sky was grey. 

 

 

My children loved feeding the ducks.  I, on the other hand, turn on my worried mama antennas because the kids weren't throwing the bread fast enough and these ducks started waddling and swimming right up to my kids' hands.  I got bit by a goose when I was younger because I tried to hand feed it.  It actually hurt!  So, I was yelling like a crazy mom, "Hurry and throw it!  They're coming!"  As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I must be a bit more traumatized about that goose than I thought.

 

The great aspect about Heritage Park is that it also has a great playground along with the little pond.  They also have really clean bathrooms, which is an added bonus.  We could have spent more time here if it weren't for the increasingly hot temperature and humidity.  Also, I'm not a fan of the woodchips, and my daughter above didn't appreciate them being stuck to her pants when she stood up after taking the last picture.  (By the way, I didn't tell her to sit, she just did.)  But, despite the weather and woodchips, the kids had a great time and I had fun watching them.  I crack up at the last picture because I have no idea where my son learned to do the double peace sign, which is common in Korea and considered fobby here in America.  These two have such fun and loving personalities and even though they drive me crazy sometimes, at the end of the day, my husband and I share stories about what they did and can't help but laugh. 

Keepin' It Interesting

While trying to get my new vintage kids shop opened, along with the facebook, twitter, and this blog,  I've also been trying to take care of two sick kids.  I tried so hard to prevent the 2nd getting sick from the 1st, but it was useless.  So, tired me + 2 tired sick kids= an interesting, tough week.  We usually go out, but opted for at-home activities instead.  That turned out more difficult than I thought.  Being at home with kids all day really tries anyone's patience. 

There are days where I think I'm going to go crazy, but then there's that one moment where one, or both of your kids do something that cracks you up and melts your heart.  That's when you realize life is good and there are far worse things in the world than being tired or having sick kids.  It's a great reminder that I need to be more patient and kind to these munchkins.  They test me, but they are truly a gift from God and I feel blessed to be their moms and watch them grow. 

The above picture captures what I mean.  Trying to occupy two sick kids at home for several days can really drive everyone a little crazy.  Look at my son.  This was after a morning of painting, puzzles, and singing along to music.  Being 3 1/2, he still has so much energy, so he decided to hang off the couch while I played with the snotty younger one.  (Snotty as in she has major snot coming out of her nose.)  I initially became annoyed that he seemed bored again, but after looking at this picture, I had to chuckle.  It's just cute and he's such a kid.  I love them both and they definitely keep life interesting.  I think as moms, especially stay-at-home moms, we tend to think that our daily routine becomes mundane and we forget the value of being able to watch our kids grow and care for them.  Also, with kids, nothing is entirely predictable and they definitely keep life interesting.

By the way, painting and puzzles are great, affordable and enriching activities a parent can do with the child!  Just an idea!

Thanks for reading!

Outtakes

This kid cracks me up.  Every single picture, I told him to just be normal, and this is what he comes up with.  Actually, by the 4th picture, he said, "Mom, I want to make funny faces." So, he started to put his hand on his face.  I had to stop him after about 5 of those shots.

 

I can't decide which is my favorite.

 

I've been attempting to shoot some live model pics for both of my shops.  Shooting the kids is quite taxing, but fun.  I mean, how much can a 15 month old understand and how long can I expect to keep a 3 year old's attention?  But, they both gave me great shots and my hubs and I can't help but chuckle every time we look at the above pictures.

The last picture of me on the other hand was NOT fun.  It's about 90 degrees here and I have no idea why I decided to try to model a black wool dress while the kids were awake.  That shot is completely my fault.  Needless to say, I didn't get  a good shot and I was starting to sweat after 5 minutes.  That dress will be going in for a good dry cleaning. Ha.  Doesn't my son look like he's up to no good?

 

Also, if you like women's vintage, I have some good stuff in my Revolving Styles Vintage shop AND I'm having a $25 giveaway here.  Please enter!

These Two Have Changed My Life

 

I can't believe I'm a mother to a 3 1/2 year old and that little girl making her "smile" face.  My heart melts!

 

Our first adventure post shows the kids going to Chabot Park in Castro Valley, CA.  That's my little brother and my mother.  Yes, I know she looks young. 

 

Almost 16 months and she loves leaves.  She wouldn't let go of that leaf for about 20 minutes.

This is not at the park, but a picture I took a couple of weeks ago that made me smile.

 

This picture also made me smile. 

 

For those who will read this post and blog, you know I have another blog here.  It was created in conjunction with my women's vintage shop opening a couple of years ago.  That blog started as a vintage and fashion inspiration blog, but after becoming a mom, I inserted many posts about my daily shennanigans with the above two cuties.  Somehow, the objective of the blog became unclear for myself, and probably for the readers.

This past week, after mulling over the option of opening up a 2nd vintage shop focusing on children's vintage for months, I decided to do it.  I've averaged 3-4 hours of sleep a night this past week preparing for the grand opening of Revolving Kids Vintage, and for this blog.  I've opened up shop and I'm actually posting on this blog.  I will continue to regularly post on my other blog, also, so please read both!

If someone asked me 10 years ago what I would be doing with my life at the age of 30, owning vintage shops and being a blogger would not have crossed my mind.  But, once these kids were born, there was no other option for my husband and myself of who would raise these kids.  We both decided that for the well-being of our kids and family, I would stay home.  Yes, financially, there have been and still are some tough times.  Somehow, by the grace of God, our family is fine and still surviving and happy.  I can honestly say that I find what I'm doing right now, being a stay at home mother, vintage shop owner, and blogger, as my calling right now.  I always thought being a teacher was my calling, and maybe it will be again someday, but for now, I am where I'm supposed to be. 

So, this blog will be focusing on children's vintage and my daily mishaps with the above two, and occasionally the hubs.  It will document our adventures, family meals, fun times, hard times, so I hope you'll follow along!